


A single starlight / 별빛 하나

by delugyufortxt



Category: TOMORROW X TOGETHER | TXT (Korea Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Elves and Fairies and lots of magical creatures, F/M, I'm not good at tags help juseyo, Long read sorry I can't write short chapters, On an adventure with TXT to save your father the king, Soobin BFF, TXT main characters - BTS side characters, Yeonjun is mysterious and a little dangerous but also secretly really sweet, Yes you are a princess uwu, btxt au, fairytale story
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:02:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27668596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/delugyufortxt/pseuds/delugyufortxt
Summary: When your beloved father, the king of the Elf kingdom Mánidal, suddenly falls ill with an unknown sickness, you are desperate to find a cure.Yeonjun, a handsome, but mysterious, Human thief who is imprisoned in your palace, offers you a solution, though a dangerous and risky one.With no other option available, you let him take you, your guard and best friend Soobin, and a bard named Hueningkai (who is just tagging along) on a journey to find the one person who might be able to save your father.Alternatively: brazen thief Yeonjun, loyal guard Soobin, cheerful bard Huenginkai, and you embark on a journey in search of powerful druid Beomgyu to cure your dad, king Seokjin (and yes, Taehyun and the rest of BTS also fit into this story, don't worry).
Relationships: Choi Yeonjun/You
Comments: 16
Kudos: 15





	1. Like a ghost / 유령처럼

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! Welcome to my story! ~(^.^)~
> 
> I will try to post a chapter regularly, but bear with me if it takes a while; sometimes I'm busy cuz life gets in the way.
> 
> This is my third story on AO3!  
> I love interacting with you guys, so please don't be shy to leave a comment below if you feel like it! >3<
> 
> You can also find me on twitter, I'm @delugyufortxt.  
> I'll tweet whenever I post a chapter or a new story, so if you would like to stay updated, feel free to follow me!  
> (Plus I love to make new friends heh heh ^ㅅ^) 
> 
> I hope you enjoy it! Have fun reading! <3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "When I turn around the corner, I suddenly see an mysterious person walking around, going quickly from side to side, obviously searching for something. How odd. Did a guest from the ball get lost in the palace? “Excuse me, sir, are you perhaps lost?” I see him startle, and he cautiously turns around. Then I see his face, and I’m completely swept off my feet."
> 
> \- Your best friend Soobin rescues your from bossy dressmakers because that is his job.  
> \- Your father the king invited a unexpected guest, who turns out to be quite different than you thought.  
> \- A mysterious person is snooping around in the castle; even though you are the one who caught him, he manages to captivate you as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooo~  
> Chapter one is up yaay!
> 
> As soon as I saw the VR concept photos for TXTs Blue Hour album, I knew I had to write an AU about it.  
> So here it is, inspired by VR!  
> For fun, I decided to mix in the members of BTS as well  
> We will meet all the members in time, so please look forward to it moarmys >3<
> 
> So excited to share!  
> Hope you enjoy it! ^.^  
> See you next time! 
> 
> ~

“Ow!” I yelp, as another pin, which is used to fit my new ball gown, accidently pricks in my side. “Please be careful,” I whine pouting. The dressmaker, a slightly plump, middle-aged lady, doesn’t even look at me or checks if I’m fine, but instead shakes her head and says in a condescending tone: “I already told you to hold still after the previous pins pierced your precious skin, Your Highness.” I make a face and mumble something incoherent, but she is right of course. I know it is my own fault that I’m being pricked like I’m getting acupuncture, but I just feel a little restless today. It’s the first day of spring, and rather than fitting a stupid, puffy, pastel blue dress for the ball tonight, I want to walk outside and marvel at the blossom trees who are in full bloom for the first time this year, to play with the flower fairies who are attracted by the trees during the day, and to gaze at the fireflies from the lake who visit the blossoms at night. But instead, I have been stuck in my room for two hours already, while the dressmaker and her seamstresses fix the final details on my new gown. I let out a deep sigh, feeling three more pins sting painfully in my arm, and stare out the window, into the sunny courtyard, where a light spring breeze makes cherry blossom flowers gently twirl down. The preparations for tonight are in full swing: servants are walking up and down, carrying crates with food, drinks, or decorations, while the next carriages with even more of the same are arriving to be unloaded. How many guests did father even invite tonight? It looks like the whole kingdom of Mánidal is attending. Suddenly my eyes spot an unfamiliar, dark figure, swiftly moving around the wall of one side of the court. What is _that_? But when I blink again, it’s gone, and only the shadows of the crawling footmen and maids darken the sunny courtyard. Hm, strange. Maybe the lack of oxygen, due to this dress’ ridiculous corset, is affecting my sense of perception… There is a quick knock on the door at the far side of the room, taking my mind off the mysterious shadow. “Come in!” I say, and my mood lightens when I see who carefully walks in. “Good day, princess. My ladies,” Soobin says with a graceful bow to me and the servants. “I came to fetch Her Highness. His Majesty wishes to speak with her.” He looks quite serious in his blue coat with golden lapels, white dress shirt, dark pants and high, black boots. I wonder what my father wants from me at this hour. “Well, we are still in the middle of a fitting, so I’m afraid His Majesty will have to wait a bit longer,” my dressmaker says firmly as she puts another pin in the bodice of my dress. “I’m terribly sorry, my lady, but it is urgent.” Soobin smiles apologetically, his cute dimples gracing his handsome face, and he bows his head in excuse, making his blue hair fall in front of his deep, dark eyes. I roll my eyes; I’ve seen him use his charms a thousand times to get what he wants, and of course, it works perfectly this time too. “Oh, well,” the dressmaker says with a slight, pinkish blush on her cheeks, “I guess this will have to do then. Just wait outside for a short moment while we help Her Highness get out of her dress.” “Of course,” Soobin says charmingly, and he smoothly turns on his heels and leaves through the door. I am worried about why my father has asked for me, quickly going through my head what trouble I could have caused him lately, but at the same time I am very relieved to finally be out of this awful dress. I change clothes in no time, wearing something much more comfortable now, in which I can breathe normally, and I rush outside, where Soobin is waiting for me, leaning on the doorpost comfortably. “That was quick,” he says with a grin, and he pushes himself off the wall with his shoulder. “You said it was urgent,” I retort, and his grin widens. “Oh right, I did.” I frown confused. That’s a vague answer. “So why does my father want to speak with me?” “He doesn’t, I came to rescue you from clouds of chiffon and piercing pins. You’re welcome, by the way.” I look at him baffled, and he giggles because of my surprised expression. “How did you know –” “I could hear you sigh all the way down in the courtyard.” A blush creeps up on my cheeks. Was I that obvious? He smirks and says teasingly: “Don’t worry, I was just joking! I know how you hate dress fittings, you always complain about it endlessly when you’ve had one.” He offers me his arm and I take it, feeling a little flustered, but happy that I’m not going to get a scolding from my father. “I thought you might wanted to take a walk around the lake to enjoy the first day of spring instead.” Ah, Soobin knows me too well. How lucky I am to have a best friend like him. Well, best friend? He is more like a brother to me. I’ve known him all my life because we grew up in the palace together, and he is just two years older than me. Of course, officially, he is my personal advisor and guard, but everyone knows our relationship is more than that. I couldn’t imagine my life without him. “So you came to rescue me, huh? What would I do without you, Soobinie?” I tease him. He ruffles my hair to tease me back, and says smiling: “Just doing my job.” “I didn’t know ‘saving the princess from bossy dressmakers’ was in the Royal Advisor’s job description?” I ask innocently as we step outside into the courtyard, rays of sunshine gently kissing my face. He laughs again and shakes his head. “No, no, not my job as your advisor. My job as your best friend.” As we walk towards the lakeside, blossoms floating in the air, flower fairies dancing around them, I know I am blessed to have someone like Soobin by my side. 

I rush into the antechamber, where my father is waiting for me, ushered by the head court lady, still scolding me for arriving late after my walk with Soobin. We totally lost track of time when we strolled around the Lake of the Moon, the magnificent, crescent moon-shaped lake that is the centre of Mánidal and the reason it is often referred to as the Lake Kingdom. In the centre of the hollow lies the palace and its gardens, and around the outer side, the people live, their houses built on a hillside looking down on the lake. We went around it fully, comfortably chatting, exchanging gossip, speculating who would be invited tonight, and admiring the beautiful spring scenery. One daring flower fairy stole one of Soobin’s shiny, silver arrows, and it took us several minutes to retrieve it which added some time to our walk, but honestly, we shouldn’t have gone around the whole lake in the first place. Of course, the head court lady doesn’t need to know that, and as an excuse for being late I told her the story of the stealing fairy, though _slightly_ exaggerated. I’m not sure if she bought it though. When we enter the antechamber, my father turns around and tries his utmost best to look displeased at my late arrival. He is wearing his royal robes: a long, silver coat, embroidered with golden lines and curls, a white dress shirt and light grey pants, his favourite high, dark grey boots and of course the silver sash with the crowned crescent moon brooch, our family’s crest. “You are late, young lady. Would you care to explain yourself?” I’m still catching my breath from running, trying to come up with a reasonable excuse, when his crown, a delicately forged golden ring with a moon stone in the centre and small leaves dangling from the sides, starts to slide down one side of his head due to the sudden movement he just made when he turned around. The head court lady gasps, the first footman is ready to take a leap and save the crown, but my father manages to catch it clumsily before it falls. My dad and I look at each other, trying to stay dignified and royal, but then we both burst out in uncontrollable laughter. Judging by the happy smile on my father’s face, I don’t think I will get scolded tonight. “That was close, father,” I say jokingly, and he giggles and replies: “You could say it was quite a _crowning_ achievement that I caught it.” There is a short silence before the servants awkwardly laugh at his joke; the king is known for making a lot of bad jokes and word puns. Even though he is often the only one who finds them funny, the servants are dead afraid to offend him, so they always just laugh, which of course does not help to improve the quality of his humour. “Let’s go inside quickly. Our guests must be hungry.” He takes my arm and we move from the antechamber to the dining room. The double doors are opened for us and our arrival is announced: “All rise for King Seokjin.” We make our way to the middle of the table while our guest shortly bow for us, many of them being royalty themselves. I notice all of the six other Elf kingdoms are represented by their respective kings and queens, and many of them brought their children too. Several other aristocrats from our kingdom are invited as well, sitting at the edges of the table as they are less important. Seeing the amount of people present, I’m not surprised about the large quantities of food and drinks I saw being carried around the courtyard this afternoon. I take my place next to Soobin, who is dressed in a beautiful white suit, laced with silver, wearing a grey sash with his family’s crest over it, and with my father on my other side, the king sitting exactly in the middle. When I look across the table, I have to prevent my mouth from falling open when I see the guest seated on the other side. What on earth is Emperor Hoseok, ruler of the Human empire Haelios, doing here? After a short word of my father, the dinner commences, but I have trouble getting the delicious food down my throat, and spend most of my dinner talking to Soobin with a distracted mind. To be honest, I am a little afraid of the emperor, who sits opposite of my father and is engaged in a polite conversation with the Elf queen of the Mountain Kingdom next to him. As a child, I grew up with the stories of the last Great Elf-Human war, which ended twenty years ago, just a year before I was born. Of course Humans and Elves have never gotten along very well all throughout history, only being united when they had to defeat a common enemy, but this battle was immensely destructive and disastrous, causing many lives to be lost, including that of the former emperor. Emperor Hoseok, back then just a boy of fifteen, took over his father’s throne and his first deed as a ruler was to end the war. Even so, the relationship between the Empire and the Kingdoms have not been on good terms, with tension between borders from time to time and accusations being hurled left and right. And of course, the rumours about the hidden relics: precious objects supposedly taken from Humans and hidden by Elves, and vice versa. One thing I know for sure is that at least the last rumour is untrue; if there were any secret chambers full of stolen stuff, I would have definitely found them already on one of the many explorations of the palace’s dark and hidden places I have been on as a kid. I glance at Emperor Hoseok covertly, and my anxious feeling eases a little. He doesn’t look very scary to be honest. He has a kind face, especially when he laughs, then his eyes twinkle and his mouth turns into an extraordinary, heart-like shape. His handsome looks makes it hard for me to believe that he is actually thirty-five; he seems more like _twenty_ -five to me. He catches me staring at him, and winks at me playfully. I quickly look away, an unwanted blush creeps up on my cheeks. Distracted, I want to take a bite of my food, but to my surprise, there is no plate in front of me. Actually, none of the guests have a plate in front of them; the last course is taking longer than it should. “Why are we still waiting for the dessert? Don’t tell me it _desserted_ us,” King Seokjin jokes. The guests laugh politely, except for Emperor Hoseok, who seems to be really cracking up and compliments my father, saying: “Good one, hyung.” I almost choke on my drink out of shock. Did he just call my father _hyung_?! Why would the Human emperor use such familiar terms with an Elf king? Suddenly a footman approaches, excusing himself and all the kitchen staff endlessly for the delay. Apparently, the cook got startled, convinced that she saw a ghost, and accidently dropped the magnificent three-layered cake which took two whole days to prepare. “A ghost?” my father asks incredulously, and when the footman nods nervously, the king bursts out in laughter again, making more people smile or giggle at the situation. “Food has been plenty already tonight, my beloved guests,” Seokjin says warmly and he gets up, making everyone follow hastily. “Let us move on to the ball instead.”

Just when I’m catching my breath, gratefully taking a sip of a drink I received from a waiter, I feel a careful tap on my shoulder, probably by someone asking me for a dance. Again. Firstly I danced with my father, of course, as opening the ball should be done by the king and, normally, the queen; I’m taking over that part because my mother passed away when I was little. After that, countless lords and princes and other noble gentlemen twirled me around, one after another, until Soobin managed to tap in and rescue me. “Thanks for saving me,” I whispered, and I probably sounded exhausted, as Soobin giggled and answered: “You looked like you were about to pass out.” “I’m a little dizzy, I just might.” “I warned you not to eat too much, but you never listen to your advisor, do you?” I tried my best to step on his toes for that remark, but Soobin is a much too skilled dancer, and he just swiftly moved me away from his precious toes. But still, he took me to the side after a short while, noticing my tired state, and allowing me to rest while he went on to dance with some queen. And now my peace is disturbed again, with Soobin nowhere in sight to help me. I turn around, feeling slightly annoyed, ready to politely decline whoever wants to dance with me now, but I freeze when I see the radiant face that is looking back at me. “Care to join me for a dance, Princess?” Emperor Hoseok asks with a slight cheeky smile. “Of c-course, Your Imperial Majesty,” I stutter, blushing for the second time that night. The emperor chuckles, as if he finds my flustered reaction amusing, and takes me to the dance floor, where we swiftly start to dance a waltz. His carmine red robes float around him as we move, and his long, wide sleeves, streaked with scarlet embroidery, fall back a little while he holds my hand and my waist, exposing his golden, delicate wrist and hand jewellery. The big ruby in his crown, which reflects the light like a flame, adds to the feeling that I'm dancing with a fire deity. We attract a lot of attention; an Elf king’s daughter dancing with the Human emperor is a rare sight. I can feel the eyes of many glued to my back, and I have trouble focussing on the steps. But, as one would expect from the ruler of an empire, he is a very experienced dancer and can make up for my mistakes. “I was just wondering,” Hoseok says, distracting me from my floppy footwork, “what made you choke on your drink just now at dinner?” My eyes grow wide, not just at the fact that he asked such a straightforward question, but also that he actually noticed that. How embarrassing. “Ah, well, u-uhm,” I stutter again. For a moment, I’m thinking of coming up with some white lie, but I can tell by the look in his brown eyes that he will see right through that. “I was just surprised to hear you calling my father ‘hyung’. I was not aware that he and Your Majesty are so close.” “I see,” he mumbles, and his eyes sadden for a short moment. “Your father and I are actually good friends, we always have been. I often write to him for advice, and he mostly sends me back some jokes he is trying out.” That sure sounds like my dad. But I’m a little taken aback to hear this; father never told me anything about it. “You don’t seem familiar with this story,” Hoseok remarks. “No, I wasn’t aware about your close bond. I guess I didn’t really expect it, since the relation between Elves and Humans has not always been… optimal.” He laughs shortly at my choice of words, and then sighs. “I understand where this is coming from, but tell me, have you ever heard your father talk badly of me?” I shake my head. “Exactly. It’s not me or the kings who are looking for trouble between our people. I hope you will always remember that.” That’s a strange request, I wonder. Is he warning me about something? And if it’s not the kings or the emperor who are stirring things up, then who is? I nod and promise him: “I shall keep that in mind, Your Majesty.” Then a short wave of dizziness suddenly rushes over me, and I feel weakened for a moment. The emperor manages to support me, preventing me from falling, and asks worriedly: “Are you all right?” “I’m fine, thank you,” I quickly reassure him, but still he guides me off the dance floor. “Just feeling a little out of breath.” Perhaps they tightened my corset a bit too much; the exercise is making it hard to breathe. “Princess!” Soobin appears by my side, his gentle eyes concerned, and a moment later my father arrives too. “What happened, Hoseok?” he asks the emperor, as if I’m unable to answer that question myself. I do notice he calls the emperor ‘Hoseok’ and not by his title, which gives the emperor’s story about their friendship a lot more credibility. “The princess told me she is feeling a bit exhausted, hyung. Perhaps it is a good idea if she leaves the room and gets some fresh air,” the emperor suggests, which is actually not such a bad idea. After assuring everyone multiple times that I’m fine, and ordering Soobin to stay at the ball, which he reluctantly abides to, I escape into the hallway and take a deep breath. Already much better. Maybe I can ask my lady’s maid to loosen my corset a bit, I think, and I start walking towards my room, hoping she is still around. When I turn around the corner into a larger hallway after passing the dining room and the antechamber, I see an mysterious person walking around, going quickly from side to side, obviously searching for something. How odd. Did a guest from the ball get lost in the palace? “Excuse me, sir, are you perhaps lost?” I see him startle, and he cautiously turns around. At first I can’t really see his face, but then he steps into a beam of moonlight that falls through the window, and I’m completely swept off my feet. His sun-kissed skin glows in the low light, his deep, dark eyes are fierce like those of a fox, and his sharp jawline accentuates the softness of his full lips. He is exceptionally gorgeous, and again I’m feeling breathless, but due to quite a different reason. He looks at me curiously, as if he is not sure how to react, but then he smiles at me charmingly, making my heart skip a beat. “Yes, thank you, my lady, it seems that I have lost my way.” He pushes a lost strand of hair away, which has a beautiful, bright pink colour, as if the flower fairies outside covered his hair with cherry blossoms, and thereby exposes his ear. To my surprise, they are not pointed; he is a Human then? “Are you part of Emperor Hoseok’s entourage?” I ask him. He looks relieved somehow and answers: “Indeed I am, my lady. I was looking for his chambers, but it seems that I took a wrong turn somewhere.” Something is not right. He keeps referring to me as ‘my lady’, but if he is one of the emperor’s servants, he would have to know I am the princess of this kingdom, and not some noble lady attending the ball. My mind suddenly flashes back to the shadow I spotted in the courtyard, and the so-called ghost the cook saw in the kitchen. Could that be him? And if so, why is he snooping around the castle? I attempt to trick him. “Ah, so you must be the footman who is getting the medication to treat His Imperial Majesty’s fatigue?” He nods, makings his pink hair flow around his handsome face. “Yes, His Majesty sent for me. If you would be so kind to show me the way?” Busted. He is lying. My heart starts beating fast and I suddenly feel anxious. What do I do know? He offers me his arm, and I take it hesitantly. If I could take him to the ballroom, I might be able to attract the attention of the guards… I start walking back, and he follows. I can feel his warmth straight through his black jacket, and strangely, my anxiousness is eased a bit. When we reach the end of the hallway, I spot guards standing outside the doors which lead to the ballroom, but so does the intruder, as I notice him getting tense. “Are you sure we are heading the right way, my lady?” he asks cautiously. I tighten my grip around his arm and whisper: “A princess knows the way around her own castle. And by the way, the Emperor is not ill, so you might want to explain yourself to the guards.” He freezes for a minute, his jaw dropping out of surprise, and I shout at the guards for help. Then he smoothly frees himself from my grip, forceful, but careful not to hurt me, and before I know it, he has gotten up the nearest window sill. The guards are rushing towards us, but are still a few steps behind, so I try to grab his ankle to prevent his escape, but he easily avoids my hands, just out of reach. “Stop right there!” I shout, but he has already opened the window. “Sorry, princess,” he says with a cheeky smirk. “I’ve got to run.” And with a playful wink, he disappears into the darkness like a ghost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ps. Some background info on my story:
> 
> You are the princess of the kingdom of Mánidal, one of the seven Elf kingdoms in this world.  
> (Mánidal comes from the "Máni", the personifaction of the Moon in Norse mythology, and the Korean word for "Moon", 달 or "dal"; of course Seokjin is the king of this kingdom, as he wrote one of my favourite songs "Moon" <3).  
> It lies by a moon-shaped lake, very originally named the Lake of the Moon, therefore also called "the Lake Kingdom".  
> There will be more kingdoms mentioned perhaps, like the "Mountain Kingdom", but it's not of great importance for understanding of the story hihi. 
> 
> Next to the seven Elf kingdoms, there is also the Empire of Humans, Haelios, ruled by Emperor Hoseok.  
> (Haelios is a combination of the Korean word 해 or "hae", a way to indicate the sun (I believe there is another word for "Sun" but I'm not sure), and "Helios", the Greek god of and personification of the Sun. Of course Hoseok had to be emperor because he is armys sunshine <3)  
> As written above, Elves and Humans have not gotten along very well throughout history in this world, but for the past 20 years, there have been a fragile peace.
> 
> Several other magical creatures live in this world, such as the flower fairies mentioned above. We will meet more of them as the story progresses, and I will give more background if necessary!


	2. Dis-ease / 병

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Then suddenly, the people in the back turn their heads towards the doors, it seems like something is going on as I can hear commotion coming from outside. “What is going on?” the king asks, but then the doors burst open and one of the palace guards announces: “Your Majesty! My greatest apologies to interrupt, but a certain Mr Kang would like to speak to you. He said it was a matter of the utmost urgency, and – ” “Let the man in!” my father says before the guard can finish, who nods, a little taken aback, and moves aside. A tall, dark figure appears, wearing a long, black coat, the hood covering most of his blonde hair. His honey-coloured skin has a mysterious glow, and his exceptionally large eyes quickly examine the room, watchful for some reason. And then I see him, pulled along by the hooded man, restrained by some sort of curious rope: the pink-haired intruder of last night."
> 
> \- A certain beautiful stranger causes a sleepless night.  
> \- Mr Kang is the best at hunting down pink-haired ruffians.  
> \- When an unknown disease strikes your father, you will do anything to cure him. Even talk to a handsome, potentially dangerous Human.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Helloooo ~  
> I am back already with chapter two! >3<  
> (This is quite fast for my doing heh heh)
> 
> It is quite a long chapter though, but I felt like I couldn't break it in two, it would have messed up the flow.  
> Even so, I hope you enjoy it! <3 
> 
> See you next time! 
> 
> ~

The moon still shines brightly outside, a solemn beam peeking through a small gap in between my curtains. I’ve tossed and turned numerous times, but I can’t seem to fall asleep, feeling still too excited by what happened this evening. Whenever I close my eyes, I see the good-looking face of the intruder again, his cheeky smile, his playful eyes, his strange but beautiful pink hair. So instead of being haunted by his gorgeous face, I just stare at the moonlight, listening to the sound of Soobin breathing, who fell asleep on my couch, even though he swore to stay awake and guard me all night. I sigh as I remember the huge commotion caused by the intruder’s appearance and his escape. My father was worried out of his mind when he found out I was involved, and went back and forth between scolding me for not being careful and hugging me tight out of relief that I was safe. The guards swept the palace grounds, searching for the Human, but he vanished into thin air. The guests were sent home or back to their rooms if they were staying at the palace, the festive mood ruined by the shock of someone breaking into the castle unseen. Emperor Hoseok apologised, as he thought the intruder was one of his men, but I explained to him that I found out he wasn’t through my trick. “How clever,” he remarked approvingly, before offering my father his help to find the Human. “Thank you for the offer, but I know someone who will definitely be able find him,” the king said a little mysteriously, and for the second time that night I was surprised by a feeling that my dad has more secrets for me than I thought. Soobin apologised endlessly to the king for not being by my side, but he was forgiven since I ordered him to stay at the ball. But since then, he refused to leave me, insisting on staying with me to keep me safe. I wonder how he is planning on doing that while sleeping so soundly. I envy him, feeling tired from today’s events, but not being able to fall asleep myself, just lying awake, thinking about a certain beautiful stranger.

“Soobin?” “Yes?” “What the hell are you doing?” He doesn’t even look at me, but keeps peering out of the window, his dark eyes searching, his pointed ears attentive to every little sound. Soobin was not kidding when he said he would stay by my side from now on: he has been following me everywhere ever since I got out of bed this morning and it’s starting to get on my nerves. It’s like I have acquired a second shadow, which does not just stretch out behind me, but also in front of me, at my sides, and even above my head, as he is a lot taller than me, watchful for any pink-haired ruffians who might try to attack me. He refuses to let me leave the palace, even though the terrain is bustling with soldiers, since my dad quadrupled the guards (or at least, it seems he did), and keeps making decisions for me about what I can and cannot do, supposedly ‘for my own safety’. I have never before in my life found him annoying, but the thought of throwing him and his ‘Royal advices’ out of my window keeps crossing my mind. “I am checking the guests who are leaving, to see if the intruder is amongst them.” “You don’t think an individual with pink hair would stand out in that crowd already, do you?” “Maybe he dyed his hair overnight, or maybe he wears a hat.” I roll with my eyes. He is clearly overreacting. There is a quick knock on the door and Soobin immediately turns around, one hand ready on his bow, the other grasping behind him for an arrow. “You really think the intruder would knock before coming in?” I ask sarcastically, but he just shoots me an irritated look. “Who is it?” I say, ignoring Soobin. “The king requests your presence at the General Assembly today,” I hear the familiar voice of one of the servants say, and I see Soobin relaxing as he recognizes the voice too. Shit, I totally forgot about the General Assembly; I hope they aren’t discussing anything that requires my attention. My father mostly deals with all the matters of the kingdom, and I often don’t even have to look at the documents I’m supposed to prepare for it, but sometimes he asks for my opinion, and it would be embarrassing if I wouldn’t know what he is talking about. I guess I’ll have to sneakily scan through them during the meeting itself. I quickly put down the book I was reading and grab my stuff, before hurrying my way to the grand hall, followed by my blue-haired shadow. All of the counsellors, advisors, and other important men and women of the court are present already, and I swiftly move over to the other side, where my father is sitting on his throne, ready to hear whatever the people have to say about the things going on in the kingdom. When I sit down on the smaller throne beside him, I notice he looks tired. He has dark circles around his eyes, his normally glowing skin is a little pale, and his shoulders are hanging down slightly, like he is carrying a heavy burden. I wonder if the hectic turn of events caused him to have a bad sleep last night. But his face brightens when he looks at me a little mischievously, whispering: “You’re late again, my dear. I guess you were too busy preparing for the assembly.” I avoid his eyes as I whisper back, trying to sound convincing: “Indeed I was, father.” He smiles briefly and replies: “We’ll see about that.” Shoot. Now I really have to look at the documents, and, additionally, prevent my father from seeing it. The meeting begins and, as usual, already gets boring after a few minutes. I’m very much aware that one day I’ll have to lead the assembly myself, listen to the people’s stories attentively, take the court’s advice into consideration and make wise decisions for the kingdom’s sake, but right now I’m just trying my best not to doze off due to the lack of sleep I had last night. Curse you, handsome Human, for keeping me awake. My thoughts trail off as I wonder where he is now. He was clearly looking for something in the palace, roaming around in several places, if he, as I suspect, also was the ‘ghost’ in the kitchen and the mysterious shadow I saw in the courtyard. But he couldn’t finish his search because I interrupted him; would he take the risk to come back? “What would you advise for this complicated case, dear?” my father suddenly addresses me. Oh shit. I haven’t been paying attention at all to what is going on. The whole court is staring at me, my face is turning red. “The western farmlands,” Soobin gallantly whispers to me, but it is no use; I didn’t prepare anything, so I have no idea what the problem with the western farmlands is. “Well,” I start, trying my best to steady my voice. Then suddenly, the people in the back turn their heads towards the doors, and start to murmur, which spreads through the hall like a wave. It seems like something is happening outside, I can hear commotion coming from behind the doors. “What is going on?” the king asks, but then the doors burst open and one of the palace guards announces: “Your Majesty! My greatest apologies to interrupt, but a certain Mr Kang would like to speak to you. He said it was a matter of the utmost urgency, and – ” “Let the man in!” my father says before the guard can finish, who nods, a little taken aback, and moves aside. A tall, dark figure appears, wearing a long, black coat, the hood covering most of his blonde hair. His honey-coloured skin has a mysterious glow, and his exceptionally large eyes quickly examine the room, watchful for some reason. And then I see _him_ , pulled along by the hooded man, restrained by some sort of curious rope: the pink-haired intruder of last night. He doesn’t look very pleased, his beautiful eyes glaring at his captor with a stare that gives me chills. If looks could kill… They stop in front of our thrones, the rumour in the hall dies down, and the one called Kang bows for us. The Human stays up straight, shifting his gaze to my dad, looking annoyed now. “Your Majesties,” Mr Kang says in a sharp, but melodic voice. The intruder seems to notice the plural form, and glances at me for a second, making my heart skip a beat. The slightest smirk curls one corner of his mouth for a second, but then disappears again, and his eyes return to my father. Even though his hair is dishevelled, his clothes are dusty, and his cheek is scratched, he still manages to look as handsome as he did last night… Wait, what am I thinking? He broke into the palace, snooped around in places he wasn’t allowed to, probably planning on stealing something, and I’m admiring his _looks_? “Mr Kang, you are already back so soon. Of course, I shouldn’t have expected otherwise from you,” the king says, and Mr Kang nods. “I am at your service, Your Majesty.” I remember my fathers’ words from last night, about the person who would definitely find the intruder. I guess he was referring to this mysterious Mr Kang. “It is much appreciated. Your reward will await you at the Treasury. You know the way,” my father dismisses him. “Thank you, Your Highness,” he says, and he bows again. “Make sure to look after your health,” he adds, and after that curious remark he turns around swiftly and walks away. My father’s eyes narrow, but he doesn’t react; he just watches Mr Kang leave. What a strange man. There is something unusual about him, but I can’t put my finger on it. It’s like he has a dark, obscure aura floating around him. I feel a shiver run down my spine. Very strange indeed. “Now, who do we have here? Does our uninvited guest from last night have a name he would like to share with us?” My father’s eyes twinkle lightly, like he actually finds the captive in front of him amusing and not threatening at all, and I can see the Human notices that too, and is not very pleased by my father’s slightly mocking tone. But he stands up straight, as far as he can, and looks defiant when he answers: “My name is Choi Yeonjun.” He leaves a small pause, the people of the court mutter and look disapprovingly, before adding sarcastically: “Your Majesty.” My father represses a smile, and leans back, getting comfortable for what seems is going to be a longer General Assembly than usual. “Well, Mr Choi Yeonjun. Would you care to explain your presence in the palace last night?”

“Hm, His Majesty is rather late,” Soobin suddenly mumbles, disrupting my thoughts. I look at the big, standing clock at the far end of the small dining room, where we normally have dinner, and see he is right; father _is_ late. That is not like him at all. But then again, it was quite an eventful and unusual afternoon as well. The questioning of the Human called Choi Yeonjun took a long time, as he was reluctant to give any explanation on why he broke into the palace. He seemed extremely annoyed at being caught, almost as if he was angry at himself, but he kept his dignity, answering my father daringly, dangerously close to being impolite. I hate to admit it, but I was completely mesmerized by his beautiful face and his warm, mellow voice. However, at the same time I disliked his personality and lack of respect; he was talking to a king after all! Father didn’t seem to mind, though, he looked like he found the whole situation a refreshing change from the boring routine. Even so, when it was evident that there was not going to be any further progress, he ordered to have Mr Choi moved to the dungeons. And after that, instead of continuing the General Assembly, he closed the meeting, saying it had already ran way too long because of the interrogation. Though it was true that it did, when I saw my father’s face, he seemed more tired than before, and I wondered if there was an additional reason why he closed it. Just when I’m about to send a servant to check on him, king Seokjin is announced. I feel my heart tighten as he walks through the door, he looks even worse than this afternoon. What is going on? “Father, are you feeling unwell?” I ask him worriedly. He smiles faintly, and walks towards me. “I am afraid so, dear. I am indeed feeling a bit under the weather,” he answers, stroking my hair soothingly. “I came to excuse myself, as I happened to pass by on my way back from the dungeons.” He must have visited the Human then. “You’ll be having dinner in your chambers I suppose?” I ask him, and he nods, his crown shifting back and forth a little. “I’ll have just some small things instead of dinner, I don’t feel like eating a lot.” He must have seen the concerned look on my face, because he gives me a small kiss on the head and says: “Don’t worry, I’m sure it will be all right. Go and enjoy your dinner, we will see each other tomorrow at breakfast.” “Have a good rest then, father. Feel better soon.” “Of course, my dear,” he promises me, and then he leaves the room. I sit down with a sigh, not feeling like eating anything right now. “Don’t worry, His Highness will be fine after he takes a rest,” Soobin says to cheer me up. “No reason to let the cook’s hard work go to waste.” I attempt to smile, trying to put my worries aside. “You’re right, Soobinie. Have dinner with me, so I won’t be so alone.” Normally, Soobin would leave after my father arrives, eating with the guards in the garrison, but since the king is not joining me, Soobin might as well have his dinner. He looks a little insecure, as if the king would not like his food to be eaten by Soobin. “Are you sure it’s all right…?” “Don’t be silly,” I say while I pull on his sleeve. “You’re practically a brother to me, it’s fine.” Still a little hesitant, he sits down, not on the king’s seat, of course, but still on the edge of his chair, obviously uncomfortable. But with one look on the delicious food that is put in front of us, he immediately seems to forget his doubt, and attacks to food with a childlike joy, making my worries disappear for a brief moment too.

However, the next day my worries return, and worsen. When I arrive at breakfast, a footman is already waiting for me, the look on his face so alarming that I feel a chill run down my spine. “What is wrong?” I whisper, almost too scared to ask. “I’m afraid it’s about your father, Your Highness,” he starts off, carefully. “He has not woken up this morning, and we cannot seem to get him to consciousness.” He is ready to say more, but I storm off too my father’s chambers, Soobin hurrying behind me, fighting my tears. I find my father still in his bed, surrounded by several people, amongst which the palace’s doctor and some lords of the court. His face is even paler than yesterday, the circles under his eyes even darker, with small beads of sweat covering his brows and cheeks. “Father,” I mumble, anxiousness rushing over me. What is happening to him? I drop on my knees and take his hand, which somehow manages to feel hot and cold at the same time. Soobin puts his hand on my shoulder to comfort me, whispering: “Don’t cry, princess.” I haven’t even noticed my tears were running free. “What is wrong with him?” I ask the physician, who looks at me helplessly. “I’ve been a healer for over thirty years, but I’m afraid I have never seen anything like this, Your Highness. None of us have,” he says, waving his hand around to indicate the people standing next to him, apparently also physicians of some kind. “The symptoms do not agree with any known disease, so either it is a new, never before encountered one, or…” “Or what?” I ask demandingly. He looks uncomfortable, and says in a soft tone: “Or it could indicate that he has been poisoned.” I feel my stomach drop. Poisoned? My father? Who would want to poison the king? “Of course, we don’t want to assume anything, so we are waiting for an expert on poisons and venoms to arrive.” “Why wait for an expert? If it’s not a disease, it must be poisoning, right?” One of the court lords, a tough looking guy, dressed in a dark coat and a leather vest, a sword dangling at his side, speaks up, barely being able to hide his annoyance. If I remember correctly, he is one of the commanders, the lords in charge of maintaining our country’s army; the ‘war lords', as my father calls them. “It’s clear who would have done this! The timing is right, and by convenience, he has already left the scene! And then sending that pink-haired peasant to distract us, very clever.” Some men around him nod, but I have no idea what he is saying. “Who are you talking about, sir?” I ask him, disliking how naive I sound. “I am talking about the Emperor of Haelios of course! He had the opportunity to poison our beloved king the day before yesterday, and is now already miles away, back in his own kingdom! A little too coincidental, don’t you think, Your Highness?” I feel astounded at his accusation. The emperor? Poisoning my father? By what I’ve heard and seen at the ball, the way he talked about my father with such respect, and talked with my father so amiably, I wouldn’t believe this for a second. Hoseok’s warning flashes through my mind: _It’s not me or the kings who are looking for trouble between our people._ Was he referring to the war lords? If they spread the rumour that the emperor poisoned my father… The Elves would be enraged, the Humans offended for being falsely accused; this could mean war. “No,” I say calmly, my voice suddenly steady and strong. “My father knows the emperor well, and I am absolutely certain His Imperial Majesty would never do such a thing.” I can see the shock on the lords’ faces, the physicians look surprised as well. “But, Your Highness –” the commander wants to object, but I cut him off. “No one will speak ill of the emperor. The expert on poison will look at the case and advise our physicians on how to treat my father, and in the meantime I will have this case investigated by a separate, independent party. If the king is really poisoned, anyone in the castle could have done it.” I look the men in the eyes. “Even you.” Several of them are shocked, some uttering that they would never do such a thing, but the commander gives me cold look; obviously he is mad that his little scheme to incriminate the emperor has failed. “Please leave the room,” I order them. “I want to be alone with my father now.” They all leave, except for Soobin, still insisting on staying by my side, even though the intruder has been caught now. I sigh deeply, and sit down on my fathers bed, giving him a small kiss on his heated forehead. “Please, father,” I whisper, suddenly feeling very small and alone. “Wake up soon.”

But two more days pass without my father opening his eyes even once. It was not confirmed that he was poisoned, or at least the expert didn't know any poison that could have caused these symptoms, so it's unsure whether he is sick or whether someone deliberately did this to him. They did find strange, dark blue streaks on his skin, which are slowly creeping up from his liver, moving little by little towards his heart, but the healers all have never seen or heard about this before. The whole mystery of the sickness is causing a problem for the physicians: if they don't know what is causing his illness, they cannot cure him, only relieve the symptoms. I’m getting more and more desperate as I see my father slowly slipping away, despite all the efforts the healers make to keep him with us. I’m terribly afraid to lose him, I wouldn’t know what to do; I love him more than anything in this world. I sit by his side again after dinner, talking to him as if he can hear me, hoping it will reach him somehow and he will wake up, if even for a short moment. There is a sudden knock on the door, and Soobin opens it to reveal a servant, who is a little out of breath, as if he had just ran up several flight of stairs. “Your Highness,” he starts off with a short bow. “I am sorry to interrupt, but… I have a strange, though urgent, request.” “What is the matter?” I ask him, feeling a slight pang of anxiety in my heart. He looks a little hesitant before he speaks again. “The prisoner, Choi Yeonjun, wishes to speak to you. He says it is a matter of life and death.” The _Human_? The Human wants to speak with me? “That’s outrageous! First he breaks in and noses around in the palace, and now he demands to see the princess?” Soobin almost seems insulted, as if the Human did him wrong, and not me. “He didn’t elaborate on it any further?” I ask the servant, who shakes his head. I look at my father. _A matter of life and death._ “I’ll go and speak to him,” I say. Soobin protests during the entire walk towards the dungeons, listing all kinds of reasons why this does not have his approval, but I ignore his well-intended ‘advice’. I’m not sure what is driving me to go see the pink-haired intruder; out of curiosity, or out of desperation? The dungeons are cold and dark, perfectly in sync with my general mood the past few days, and I find the prisoner in the last cell, chained up, waiting for me on what looks like a very uncomfortable wooden bench. The torch on the wall opposite of us and the one in Soobin’s hand are the only sources of light, still, somehow, the Human’s skin seem to glow, and his eyes sparkle when he sees who have come to visit him. “Good day, Your Highness,” he says, and he bows to me mockingly. “Or good night, perhaps? I am afraid it is hard to tell what part of the day it is, down here where it is permanently dark.” His attitude annoys me already. Without greeting him back, I say: “I was told you wanted to speak to me.” He turns his head sideways, his eyes searching mine, and I have to remind myself to keep breathing normally. “I heard your father was ill, I am sorry for that.” For the first time since I met him, he sounds sincere. “He wasn't poisoned, no? Just fallen ill from something unknown?” I nod, not sure where he is going to with this. I can see Soobin tensing up, as if he is losing his patience with the prisoner. “And there was word of blue streaks on his stomach? That could be very bad, if what I heard is true.” I feel the blood drain from my face. What does he mean by that? Soobin slams the prison bars with his bow, looking furious, his eyes blazing. “Did you harm king Seokjin?” he growls in a voice that gives me chills. I have never seen Soobin this angry; normally he is calm and composed, so gentle by nature. “I most certainly did not,” the Human denies the accusation. “Why would I even? I was looking for… something in the palace, the other day. I have no reason or motive for wanting the king dead.” Dead. The word hits me in the face like a hammer. “Why are you asking this?” I demand to know. His face changes, I can tell he is estimating me, then he smiles lightly, as if he already knows the outcome of this conversation. “I would like to make a deal with you, princess,” he says, his voice sweet like honey. “My freedom, in exchange for a way to cure your father.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ps. There is a reason why Taehyun is using the name "(Mr) Kang" and not "Taehyun", but the reason for that will be clear later.


	3. Tell me the way to get to you / 너에게 가는 길을 알려

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> " “Have you found him yet?” Soobin and Yeonjun arrive at my table, bringing some food and drinks with them. I shake my head, saying: “No, I haven’t had the chance to properly –” Right at that moment, we hear a shriek of terror, and every head turns to the far side of room, where someone is dangling upside down by his feet, surrounded by a band of ruffians. “Oh no,” Yeonjun says, and he gets up again. “That’s him.” “Who is?” Soobin asks as we start making our way through the mumbling crowd that has gathered around the scene. “The one hanging by his feet,” Yeonjun sighs. "
> 
> \- Hoseok proves himself a true friend.  
> \- You save a young bard from trouble...  
> \- ... who gratefully tells you the tale of two brothers, and more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooo and a happy new year to you! ~(^.^)~
> 
> I'm sorry I've been taking forever to write this chapter, I took a little break over the holidays.  
> But chapter three has finally arrived ~
> 
> At first I didn't think I could make a decent chapter out of this, but at first when I finished writing I had like 6 pages of text (oops) >.<  
> I revised and narrowed it down to 5 pages, but that's still more than average, so be ready to take your time heh heh.
> 
> Long chapter or not, I hope you enjoy it! <3  
> See you next time! 
> 
> ~

“Princess, I strongly advise against it.” I stare at the letter I wrote, lying in front of me. “You can’t be sure that this person can cure your father.” I put my quill down, shove the letter into an envelope, and drop some candle wax on it. “And even if he could, we still have to find him… You know the woods are dangerous!” I press my signet ring into the hot wax, sealing the letter. Then I get up, turn around, and look into Soobin’s worried eyes. “Please, princess,” he pleads. “Don’t do it. Forgive me my words, but it’s madness.” He is right of course, as usual; Soobin is rarely wrong. The Human’s idea _is_ madness. “I was told that there is a powerful druid, living deep in the woods,” Choi Yeonjun had said. “He has been around for centuries, and is more skilled in healing than any doctor or physician in the world, meaning he can cure any kind of any disease. I can help you find him, and bring him here to heal your father. In return, I want my freedom back.” He had smiled slyly before adding: “But only _after_ your father is healed, of course.” Perhaps I’m giving Soobin too much credit; _anyone_ can see what a crazy idea it is. A magical druid just happens to live in the woods, just happens to know how to cure every disease in the world, and, of course, the prisoner just happens to know where we can find him. He could be lying about so many things, and there is no way of finding out. Not to mention we would be letting a dangerous person run free, and would just have to trust him that he will actually lead us to the druid, not stab us in the back when he gets the opportunity. No, this idea is insane, I totally agree. But… I have no other choice than to try it. And the Human knows this too. “I’m sorry, Soobin.” I try to walk past him, but he grabs my arm and stops me. “Princess! You can’t –” “It’s not like I have a choice here, Soobin!” I snap at him. “There is not a single doctor, physician, healer, or whatever in this kingdom that knows what is going on with my father! No one can help him! So what I am to do? Let him die? No, I can’t, I _won’t_ sit idly by and do nothing if there is even the slightest chance of saving him!” He looks a little hurt, I have never shouted at him like this before. He remains silent, for once not having an advice to give me. “I have to try,” I say softly, releasing myself from his grip and taking his hands instead. “So, please, instead of scolding me for my reckless decision, will you go with me on this stupid quest?” He glares at me with pursed lips, like he has some more scolding to do, but then his eyes soften. “All right,” he sighs. “However, that doesn’t mean I approve.” “I know,” I say, and I let his hands go. “But thank you, Soobin.” I walk towards the door, and of course he follows me, like he has been doing the past few days. “Whom did you write to?” he asks as we make our way to the Bird Keeper’s tower. “A friend,” I mumble, not eager to get scolded by him over yet another potentially idiotic idea. “I’m not going to leave my father here unprotected. I feel like I can’t trust anyone in the palace, except you, and I’m taking you with me on this… quest.” He nods, not asking me to elaborate on it any further. Maybe he already knows who I am talking about. I ask the Bird Keeper for our phoenix, the fastest bird we have. I’m sure it can deliver the letter to Haelios before morning. I just hope Emperor Hoseok can make it here on time.

The captain of the palace guards must have thought I had gone mad when I asked him to release the prisoner and hand him over to me. His eyes grew even wider when I told him that the Human, Soobin and I were going on a so to say 'confidential' journey. And when I lastly told him that the Emperor of Haelios would be watching over my father while I was gone, I was afraid he would ask for the doctor to get my head checked. That was this morning, but many hours have passed with no sight of the emperor yet. The phoenix hasn’t returned either, only increasing my nerves. I _have_ to see the emperor before we go, but I don’t want to postpone our leave any further either. We mustn’t waste precious time by waiting; who knows how long my father still has? “Hold on,” I whisper, holding my father’s hand tight, wiping away the beads of sweat from his forehead with a cloth. “Your friend is coming.” I must have fallen asleep, because I wake with a start when Soobin shakes my shoulder vigorously. “Princess! He has arrived.” He doesn’t need to tell my who ‘he’ is. There is only one person I am waiting for right now. I take a look at the clock; it’s two in the morning. Hoseok must have left as soon as he received my message. I get up quickly and brush my clothes in a weak attempt to make myself look a little more presentable, but before I reach the door, it suddenly swings open, revealing a dishevelled-looking emperor. Most of his auburn hair is bound in a small ponytail, but several strands have gotten loose, floating around his face, which is flushed by either exercise or the cold midnight wind. “Good evening, Your Imperial Majesty,” I greet him, my voice still sounding a little sleepy. “Good evening, Your Highness,” he replies, his concerned eyes flying through the room. Then he spots the king, lying in his bed, looking weak and fragile, and mutters “Hyung!” before he rushes to him. He drops to his knees and takes King Seokjin’s hand in his. I slowly walk to him and sit down on edge of the bed. “It’s even worse than I feared,” Hoseok whispers. I show him the blue streaks, which have creeped up a little further towards my father’s heart. “Do you have any idea what might have caused this?” I ask him. He closes his eyes and bites his lip, before ruefully shaking his head. “I have asked the empire’s best physicians, but they had no clue.” I nod, not surprised, but nonetheless disappointed. “Then I have to go, and fast. Oh, and I must warn you: beware of a person named Kang,” I advise the emperor. I did not forget Mr Kang’s foretelling words. _Make sure to look after your health_ , he said, just before my father got ill. I wonder if he got anything to do with it, but I can’t know for sure right now. Hoseok nods and I get up, but the emperor takes my hand. “Be careful, princess,” he says, his voice strained with emotion. “The woods are a dangerous and treacherous place. I would propose to go myself instead, but I know stubbornness runs in the family.” He smiles faintly, and I can see from the corner of my eyes that Soobin shares an equal faint smile, but then Hoseok’s expression saddens again. “He can’t tell you this himself, so, as a friend, let me speak for him: please take care and stay safe, dear.” I nod, but my heart feels heavy. I don’t want to leave my father, not like this, not without the chance to say goodbye if needed… At least he is in good hands now; Hoseok dropped everything in a rush to get here, his emotions when he saw my father were genuine. I know that I made the right decision by calling him here. “Please watch over him. He is the only family I have left,” I whisper, trying my best to hold back my tears. Hoseok gives my hand a short kiss, and smiles at me encouragingly. “He is like family to me too. I’ll guard him with my life.”

We leave at dawn, just a few hours after Hoseok arrived, in an attempt to leave unnoticed. The beautiful sunrise would seem a joyful start of our journey, but the ominous cloud of our purpose hangs over my head. Dark thoughts trouble my mind, making it hard for me to enjoy the orchestra of colours in the sky. We are riding on horses, for now; the prisoner warned us that we probably could not take the horses with us into the forest. Still, it will save us a lot of time, as we will reach the edge of the woods in half a day by horse, instead of two to three days by foot. I glance at the Human, whose hands are tied up and bound to his horse, which is in turn tied to Soobin’s horse. Soobin always takes his job very seriously. Yeonjun is still wearing the same clothes, all coloured black. It’s clear which purpose they serve: he won’t be spotted easily at night, the clothes turn him into a shadow, make him blend with the darkness. Two things defeat that purpose though: his bright pink hair, obviously, and two golden straps he wears over his shirt, making a large X over his chest, which he probably uses to keep his sword (or swords) attached to his body. Of course, his weapons were all taken away when he was imprisoned, and Soobin doesn’t allow him to carry any weapon right now. Soobin carries enough on his own, and he gave me a short sword and a knife if I need to defend myself. Suddenly, Yeonjun notices my stare, and he turns his piercing gaze on me, for once not smirking, but seeming curious. Of course I quickly look away after he caught me staring, and I curse my complexion as a blush creeps up on my cheeks. I’m sure the Human is smirking now, but luckily he doesn’t make any sly remarks. No one speaks actually, we just ride in an awkward silence, making our way to a specific tavern near the edge of the woods the Human wanted to go to, where he needed to find someone to confirm his suspected whereabouts of the druid. After riding all day, I am glad to get out of the saddle when we arrive. The sun has just started setting, the timing perfect for having dinner. The tavern looks a little shabby and old, not really the kind of place where I would normally rest on my travels. “I think it’s better if you stay outside, princess,” Yeonjun says in an annoyingly condescending tone. “And why is that?” I ask, already feeling irritated. “It’s not really a place suited for a… delicate and sophisticated person like yourself.” Excuse me? Does he insinuate I’m _weak_? Or that I’m some pretentious snob? “And we don’t want to attract too much attention, no?” he says with a glance at Soobin, who is holding the rope tying Yeonjun’s hands together now. “Otherwise you would have taken palace guards with you, I’d figure.” “Well, I hardly look like a princess, so I’m sure it will be fine,” I scoff. Of course I changed my normal attire (mainly large, puffy dresses) for a more travel-worthy one. My dark brown pants and emerald green coat are well-made, but wouldn’t betray my true identity. And of course, I left my crown at the palace. “The clothes are not what makes you a princess, Your Highness,” he mumbles mockingly, but I ignore him, and walk towards the entrance of the tavern. When I open the door, I am hit by a wave of noise, and the scene in front of me is so chaotic my eyes can’t decide where to look. The large room is crowded with all kinds of people, from wealthy merchants and tradesman to beggars and scary-looking thugs, sitting on a mismatch of stools and benches and chairs, drinking and eating while having loud discussions or playing games. A few lonely travellers sit at the long bar, while the bartender pours a continuous stream of drinks and hands them to the barmaids, who zigzag their way through the room, somehow managing to balance their overloaded trays. There is a fire in a big hearth on my right, spreading a pleasant warmth through the room. Completely amazed, I’m just standing frozen in the door opening, but apparently the cold from outside is seeping in as someone shouts at me to either “get busy closing the door or get busy leaving”. Soobin gives me a gentle nudge, and then closes the door behind us. “All right, who is the person you are looking for?” Soobin asks Yeonjun, who is already scanning the room. “He goes by the name of Hueningkai. He is a young bard, with a fair face, puppy eyes, brown wavy hair, probably the youngest in the room. You’ll know it when you see him, he has an extraordinary appearance.” Then Yeonjun turns to Soobin. “Would you mind taking this off?” he asks innocently with a nod to the rope that is bound around his wrists. “I can’t properly eat when my hands are bound.” “Then I guess you’ll starve,” Soobin shrugs, and he moves to the bar to order, dragging a fuming Yeonjun with him. It doesn’t seem like those two will be getting along anytime soon. I sit down at an empty table, and look around the room in search for a young man who fits Yeonjun’s description. I would expect the bard near the fire place, enchanting the people with a magical tale or a marvellous poem, but only the grumpy guy who yelled at me and his companions are sitting there, and they are obviously too old. Before I can search the other side of the room, my attention is caught by something said at the table next to me. I can’t catch the whole sentence in the noisy room, but one word rings in my ear: “Kang.” I know eavesdropping is bad, but I can’t help myself. If I can get more information on that mysterious Mr Kang… “You saw Kang again? That man always gives me the chills…” a bald, elderly man says while he shivers. “Yes, I watched him walk towards the attorney’s house, you know, the one on Main Street?” the man who spoke first, a younger fellow with red hair and a short beard, continues. “Anyhow, he barges through the front door, which I know was locked because the poor man is always in fear of his client’s enemies. A few minutes later he walks out again, dragging out the attorney's son, who is the butcher’s apprentice, behind him!” “The boy? But why?” the third man asks, his blue eyes wide, totally emerged in the story. “Well, it turns out the apprentice had been stealing money from the shop. But the weird thing is: the butcher himself hadn’t even noticed the missing money yet…” The other two gasp softly. “How could Kang have known?!” “I have no idea, but he must be the best bounty hunter out there, knowing who to arrest before everyone else. However, that isn’t even the creepiest part.” The other two bend in, their ears attentive. “He congratulated my wife on the way back for being with child. However, that was before we even knew she was, before it was even visible…”

“Have you found him yet?” My eavesdropping is interrupted by Soobin and Yeonjun arriving at my table, bringing some food and drinks with them. I shake my head, trying to clear my thoughts, while saving this peculiar information about Mr Kang for later times. “No, I haven’t had the chance to properly –” Right at that moment, we hear a shriek of terror, and every head turns to the far side of room, where someone is dangling upside down by his feet, surrounded by a band of ruffians. “Oh no,” Yeonjun says, and he gets up again. “That’s him.” “Who is?” Soobin asks as we start making our way through the mumbling crowd that has gathered around the scene. “The one hanging by his feet,” Yeonjun sighs, before shouting: “Ya! Put him down!” The leader of the group, a big fellow with mean eyes and a scar running over the side of his face, takes one look at him and scowls: “Beat it, pinky, this is a private matter.” “I would appreciate it if you would release our friend. We’ll make sure he is properly punished for whatever he has done to wrong you,” Yeonjun says calmly. “Yeonjun-hyung?” says the poor boy with a weak voice. “Good evening, Hueningkai,” his hyung responds amused. “Like I said before, it’s none of your concern. _I would appreciate it_ if you leave,” the big man mocks Yeonjun’s polite speech, and he turns his back on us again. Apparently, that was a big mistake. Before I could even blink, two silver arrows whistle through the air, each one pinned to the wall just above the heads of the men who are holding the bard up by his feet. They look at Soobin with big eyes, and the leader turns around angrily, but Soobin’s expression is cold, new arrows ready to be fired. “I won’t miss the next time,” he declares. “Give us the boy.” Not taking any chances, the leader motions to the others to release Hueningkai, who drop him onto the floor with a thud, and with deadly glares at Soobin, they walk away. The tension in the room disappears as everyone goes back to their own business. We help Hueningkai back on his feet, who thanks us over and over again, and we get back to our table, the food probably turned cold by now. “I am eternally grateful,” Hueningkai says again after we have made our acquaintance. Now that he is not hanging upside down, I can see what Yeonjun meant with ‘extraordinary appearance’: he has beautiful, captivating eyes and a bright, angelic smile. He does indeed seem very young, looking adorable in his fluffy white sweater. He lights up the room just by sitting here, and his voice is calm and pleasant; no wonder he became a bard. “I owe you a debt. Please, if there is something I can do for you…” “Actually, Hueningkai, we do have a request for you,” Yeonjun says, looking serious now, making me become a little nervous. What if this boy can’t help us…? “Oh, of course, ask me anything, I’m at your service!” Hueningkai’s eyes start to shine enthusiastically. “Remember the story of the druid you told me the last time we met?” “Of course I do!” Hueningkai clears his throat and gets ready to tell the story, but Yeonjun quickly stops him saying: “No need to tell it again, I already heard it.” “Well, we haven’t yet,” I say, gesturing to Soobin and me, and while Yeonjun rolls his eyes, Hueningkai beams with pleasure and starts his tale: “A long time ago, two brothers were born, both blessed with great powers. Their magic was strong, its limit far beyond anyone’s imagination. They wandered around for centuries, helping Humans, Elves, or any creature in need. The older brother, called Beomgyu, was a druid, a master in healing the body as well as the soul; the younger brother, Taehyun, was a sorcerer, master of spells, and gifted with the Sight. Then, one day, Taehyun was struck by a power much stronger than magic: he fell in love. And he was in luck, as his love was returned. But, his blessing soon turned into a curse: his Sight gave him a vision of her death. He tried to prevent her passing with all his might, but instead, he met his destiny on the path he took to avoid it, and his true love died. Broken hearted and desperate, he turned to his brother, his last hope in saving her, but he told him he could not help. After all, he was a master in healing, not in bringing people back from the dead. Mad from loss and angry because of his helplessness, Taehyun fought with his brother, a battle so grave the ground shivers whenever it is mentioned.” Suddenly, the table shakes, and my heart skips a beat. Did the earth just remember the fight of the brothers? Then Yeonjun starts grinning, and I realise with a blush he must have shaken the table with his foot. I shouldn’t let myself be so carried away with the story, but I can’t help it; Hueningkai is a great storyteller. “When it became clear that neither the druid nor the sorcerer could win, the brothers forever parted their ways. Taehyun disappeared, and was never seen again. Beomgyu retreated into the woods, to a place far away from civilisation: beyond the great lake of mermaids, farther than the hills of Namu, past the gorge of the mountain trolls, in a place where only a single starlight lights up the night.” “And he still helps people to this day?” I ask, my question more like a whisper. “Uh, well, many people tried to find him, but everyone failed, so I’m not sure I guess, the story doesn’t uh, doesn’t really say so,” Hueningkai stutters flustered, suddenly losing his ability to speak fluently. “That’s not what you told me the other night,” Yeonjun chimes knowingly, folding his bound hands to lean on it with his chin. “Hyung, why are your hands bound?” “Don’t try to change the subject, Hueningkai. Tell them the other part.” Soobin and I turn our attention back to Hueningkai, who starts blushing. After a deep sigh, he gives in: “When I was little, my parents didn’t… want me. They, uhm, left me, in the woods, to, well, to die.” My heart feels heavy as I see the pained expression in Hueningkai’s eyes, and instinctively I take his hand to comfort him. He smiles at me weakly, and continues: “I don’t remember clearly, because I was just a small boy then, but I recall wandering around for several days, searching for my parents. Eventually I became sick, probably from eating the wrong kind of berries or something. The next thing I remember, is waking up in a hollow ground, a bit like an oversized nest or some kind of hole, surrounded by high walls and dense bushes and trees. It was daytime, but the sky was practically invisible, and I was lying on a bed made of leaves and moss and feathers. Standing by a fireplace near a small creek was a beautiful man, his skin glowed and he had a strange, but gentle aura around him. He spoke really old-fashioned and carefully inspected my well-being. I asked him all kinds of questions, but he ignored them, and he gave me something to drink, upon which I went back to sleep. When I woke up again, I found myself in an inn, with food and housing paid for a whole year. And, well, that’s kind of how I became a bard. Nothing more fun than seeing the world and delivering stories, right?” He tries to be cheerful, but his eyes look sad. “So, the person who helped you, you think that might be the druid Beomgyu?” I ask carefully. Hueningkai nods. “It could very well be.” “But you just said no one found him in a long time?” Soobin retorts. “Yes, but I didn’t find him, he found me.” “Oh… you’re right.” “People didn’t find him, because they are looking in the wrong direction,” Yeonjun says, clearly thinking out loud, his mind seemingly far away. “They must think the place where only ‘a single starlight lights up the night’ refers to the caves and caverns in the mountains in the west, but, if we assume that Hueningkai’s story is correct, the druid must live somewhere in the east, where the woods become denser, at the source of the great rivers…” “Hold up,” Hueningkai says confused. “You want to _find_ the druid?” We are silent for a little while, and I see Yeonjun’s and Soobin’s eyes shortly glance in my direction. “Yes,” I break the silence. “My father has fallen ill, and there seems to be no cure. The druid is his last hope.” Hueningkai’s eyes start to sparkle again, and he asks eagerly: “Can I join you? Please? This is going to make a marvelous story, I just know it! And I might be able to help you find the druid, since I found him before!” “You just said he found you…” Soobin interrupts, but Hueningkai ignores him and continues his plea: “Please, my lady, my lord, hyung, let me join! I would be forever grateful!” His puppy eyes unleash their full force on me, and after hearing his sad origin story, I can’t find the heart to turn him down. I look at Soobin for advice, who softly whispers: “It’s up to you, princess.” “All right, you can come along,” I agree, and I am rewarded with a warm hug from Hueningkai, who keeps thanking me endlessly and buys us all another round of drinks. “And then we were with four…” Yeonjun mumbles, but he doesn’t seem to be unhappy with his young friend joining us on our journey. “Now that I have told my story,” Hueningkai says when he returns with our drinks, “why don’t you tell me now why your hands are bound, hyung?” Yeonjun gives him a look of loathing, while Soobin softly giggles. “Only if you tell me why you were hanging upside down.” “Ah…” Hueningkai smiles flustered. “Touché.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ps. Side notes:
> 
> Beomgyu and Taehyun are both wizards: Beomgyu is a good wizard of healing, i.e. a druid; Taehyun is a more dark wizard of spells, i.e. a sorcerer. Wizards don't age after they reach adulthood; they just maintain their youthful looks for as long as they live. Similarly, they don't die of old age; they are very powerful magical beings, so it takes an equally powerful magic to kill them... 
> 
> Taehyun furthermore has the Sight, meaning he gets visions or dreams of the future. However, as he learnt in a heartbreaking way, he cannot change this future, only take measures to face it.


	4. I will walk towards you, step by step / 그대 향해 한 걸음씩 걸어갈래요

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> " “What happens at dusk?” I ask. “That’s when the mermaids lure their prey,” Hueningkai says, his voice low and soft. “They sing their song, and when you get within their reach…” He suddenly snatches my arm and I yelp unconsciously, after which I give him a playful slap for scaring me. He grins, pleased that he succeeded, and continues: “They drag you down into their underwater lair, never to be seen again…” "
> 
> \- The adventure continues, first stop: the great lake of mermaids!  
> \- Hueningkai tells you a bit more about himself...  
> \- ... and he warns you: beware of the mermaids' song...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiiii! ~(>3<)~  
> I'm so glad to finally be back with a new chapter yaaay!  
> It took me so long T-T I just started a new job and things have been super busy.
> 
> But since I'm getting used to my new rhythm, I have been able to make some time to write ^.^  
> I am really excited to share this one, because we meet another BTS member here!  
> When I thought of this member, I immediately imagined him as this character in the story, so I hope you'll like it.  
> We'll start meeting the other members in the upcoming chapters, so please look forward to it!
> 
> I'm adding some more notes at the back of the chapter (spoiler alert!)  
> Enjoy reading, and see you next time! <3
> 
> ~

The four of us take off the next day at dawn, sadly leaving our horses behind at the tavern, but nonetheless reaching the woods very soon after departure. I feel a nervous flutter of anticipation in my stomach. What will await us here? What did Hueningkai say about the whereabouts of the druid Beomgyu again? _Beyond the great lake of mermaids_ … I guess that will be our first stop. “Hold on,” Yeonjun suddenly says, patting his pockets like he forgot something. “Pointy, did you bring the candle wax?” ‘Pointy’ is the nickname Yeonjun invented for Soobin, because Soobin kept calling him ‘Pinky’ since last night. They may think they are insulting each other, but in my opinion, it’s kind of cute. “I put it in the bag, don’t worry,” Soobin says, referring to the bag he carries on his back. “What do we need a candle for?” I wonder out loud. “You’ll see soon enough,” Yeonjun says mysteriously as he gives me a playful wink, making my heart flutter. Opposite to the day before, our journey through the first part of the woods isn’t spent in silence. This is mostly due to one person though: Hueningkai chatters on, asking all sorts of questions about us, but often not even awaiting the answer because another thought has already popped up in his mind, which he immediately has to share. He has no clue that I’m a princess; we thought it better not to tell him the truth, so now he thinks I’m the daughter of a wealthy merchant. Unfortunately, that is causing a stream of questions about my father’s ‘business’, and soon I feel as if I’m trapped in a web of lies. “I guess that’s enough about me,” I interrupt Hueningkai before he can ask me another question. “I’m curious about you. For instance, where do you live?” An embarrassed expression flashes over his face, but he smooths it quickly. “Oh, here and there, really,” he says with a shrug. I’m sure he tries to look indifferent, but his eyes, carefully avoiding mine, tell me otherwise. “I travel around from place to place, picking up tales and stories during the day, and telling them to the people at night.” He is silent for a little while, biting his lip, seemingly unsure if he should say what’s on his mind. But then he continues: “It’s the perfect life when you are caught between two worlds.” “Caught between two worlds?” I repeat curiously, but Hueningkai doesn’t respond, his thoughts far away. Yeonjun, who was walking next to Soobin in front of us, suddenly stops, bringing Soobin to an abrupt halt too, and turns around to put his hand (still bound to the other) on Hueningkai’s shoulder. “You don’t have to tell them if you don’t want to, Hueningie,” he says softly. He smiles sweetly at the younger, who faintly smiles back. “No, it’s okay, hyung, they told me their stories, so if we are going to travel together, I might as well tell them mine.” I feel a pang of guilt in my heart. I told him a story, yes, but not a true one… “All right then,” Yeonjun says, and he squeezes Hueningkai’s shoulder encouragingly before he starts walking again. I’m quite surprised to see this caring side of him. I only know him as an arrogant, mischievous and somewhat stubborn person, but to Hueningkai he seems more like a kind and fostering older brother. Apparently, there are two quite different sides to his personality… “What I meant,” Hueningkai goes on, “is that I belong to neither the Elf nor the Human world. I am a halfling.” “A _halfling_?” Soobin looks at Hueningkai with big eyes. “Yes,” Hueningkai says, a little defiant, as if he is not ashamed, but proud of his heritage. “Here, you can see for yourselves.” He removes the white feather he wears in his hair and puts his curly locks away to show his ears. They aren’t exactly pointed, like Soobin’s and mine, but not really round either, like Yeonjun’s. They’re somewhere halfway in between. A perfect reflection of the life he lead so far: one foot in the Human world, and the other in the Elf one. “I heard about halflings before, but ever since the last Great Elf-Human war they have been…” Soobin struggles with his words, probably not wanting to sound offensive. “… Rare,” he concludes. Hueningkai gives him a weak smile. “You can say that. I have never met anyone like me. Ever since that war, the relations between the Elves and Humans have been so bad that I’m not welcome in either the empire or any of the kingdoms. I’m too much of an Elf to Humans, and too little of an Elf to the Elves.” “Well, I don’t mind having you around,” I say, and I take his hand, squeezing it shortly to encourage him. “It’s a pleasure.” His face clears up a little. “Thank you, noona.” He carefully puts the white feather back in his hair, making me wonder about it. “What is the reason that you wear that feather, Hueningkai?” “Oh, this?” He points to it and starts beaming with excitement. “This is my good luck charm, protecting me from evil and keeping me in good health.” He waits a short moment to build the suspense, and then declares proudly: “It’s a feather from an angel’s wing!” Soobin scoffs, while Yeonjun giggles. “A feather from an _angel’s_ wing? Who told you that?” Soobin says belittling. “It’s probably from a goose or something. I think you’ve been scammed.” “I was not! I didn’t buy it, I _found_ it,” Hueningkai pouts. “Then it’s definitely a goose feather,” Yeonjun teases him. “Just let him be,” I say, feeling sorry for Hueningkai, who looks somewhat offended. “Well, I think it’s a little gullible,” Soobin shrugs. “For once I must say I agree, Soobinssi,” Yeonjun says, acting amiable. “See, we are already getting along better! So, I think now is a good time to take off this rope, don’t you?” He holds out his wrists to Soobin, who just scoffs again. “In your dreams, Pinky.”

A little while after noon, we reach the great lake of mermaids. And it is indeed _great._ Compared to this, the Lake of the Moon looks like a pond. “Whoa, it’s beautiful!” I exclaim, enchanted by the calm water stretching far and wide. Branches of some willow trees nearby break the smooth surface, several rock formations, made of some dark stone, form small islets in the water, and at the far side on my left I spot a small cave. When I bend over to look at the water, a few fish blink back at me before hurrying away. “I remember seeing the lake for the first time,” Hueningkai recalls, his eyes a little dreamy. “It was early morning, the moon still visible, the water shrouded in mist… It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. It reminds me of a poem, actually - ” “Yes, yes, it is very pretty, but we have to keep moving,” Yeonjun cuts him off, and ushers us to continue our way, while he glances at the sun nervously. “It will be getting dark soon, so the further we get, the better. Though I’m not sure we can make it past the lake by dusk...” “What happens at dusk?” I ask, a little reluctantly though. Yeonjun and Hueningkai seem to know so much about this world, it makes me painfully aware of how ignorant I really am, having lived safely at the palace all these years. “That’s when the mermaids lure their prey,” Hueningkai says, his voice low and soft. “They sing their song, and when you get within their reach…” He suddenly snatches my arm and I yelp unconsciously, after which I give him a playful slap for scaring me. He grins, pleased that he succeeded, and continues: “They drag you down into their underwater lair, never to be seen again…” “What do they do to the people they drag down?” Soobin wonders. “No one knows,” Yeonjun says with a shrug. “None of their victims ever lived to tell the tale.” A shiver runs down my spine, and I look at the magnificent lake again, regarding it quite differently now. “Is that why you wanted to bring the candle?” I ask Yeonjun. “To plug our ears?” “Very clever, pri- my lady,” Yeonjun says, correcting himself just in time. “But it’s just for the men, though. The mermaids’ call only works on males.” I feel somewhat relieved, knowing that I won’t be tempted to jump into the lake and spend the rest of my days at the mermaids’ underwater lair, but still I worry for my companions. What if the candle wax doesn’t cover their ears fully? I don't think I’m strong enough to keep them from going into the water if they get tempted… We continue our walk along the lake, the landscape varying from forest grounds with willow trees to rocky cliffs and sandy beaches. The chilly shade from the woods is replaced by the pleasant warmth of the sun, and when we take a break to have our lunch, we cool off by wading into the lake with our feet. Soobin and Hueningkai try to catch some fish for dinner, but fail to miserably; they just splash around helplessly while being laughed at by Yeonjun. “I can easily catch them if you want!” he shouts at them. “Just take this off!” He holds up his bound wrists. “Keep dreaming!” Soobin shouts back at him, not even looking up. After a while they give up, and when their clothes have dried up a bit, we continue, urged by Yeonjun, who keeps checking the sky every once in a while. I’m wondering if he had some bad experience with the mermaids before; it would explain his nervous behaviour. Just before the sun starts setting, Yeonjun stops and says: “Let’s put in the wax now, we can’t take any chances.” Soobin nods and retrieves the candle from the bag. They look quite funny with the wax in their ears, and even funnier when they start yelling at each other to test if they still can hear something. When their ears are plugged properly, we resume walking, and my anxiousness returns, the sudden silence between us not helping for my nerves. And then I hear it. One voice starts, a soft, frail voice, sounding wonderful, but fragile. Then more voices join her, perfectly harmonising with each other, filling the air with a song of longing, a longing for a love at their side. I startle and come to a stop, looking around the lake, and soon I spot the mermaids: some of them gracefully sit on the rocks, the dazzling scales of their long, fishy tails scattering the evening sun in a marvelous way; others drift in the water, their long hair floating around them in a rainbow of colours. And of course they all look astoundingly beautiful. The boys notice that I have stopped walking, but Yeonjun gives me a gentle push to move on. He warned the others not to look at the mermaids, so they keep their eyes firmly to the ground. We continue our way, and the mermaids continue singing, their eyes glued to the boys. After a while, I notice a slight change in their voices. They start to become impatient, their song more urgent, or perhaps demanding, with a hint of sorrow that there is no answer. I glance at the mermaids from time to time, and I see some of them glaring back at me. We’re still quite close to the water, and it’s making me nervous. How far out of the water could they go…? Then I notice someone else watching me too, as my eyes catch Yeonjun’s concerned look. “Stay close please, princess,” he murmurs, almost as if he is afraid the mermaids will catch me instead of them. His concern causes butterflies to twirl in my stomach, and I wonder why it bothers me that the tough and arrogant Human is worried for me. I nod to show that I heard him, and he turns his eyes away. The sun has almost fully set when the singing suddenly stops. I look up surprised, and then I almost trip over my feet out of shock when the screaming starts. Their mouths are suddenly filled with sharp fangs, and even though their eyes have turned pitch black, I can still feel them staring at me, as if they are ready to bite my head off. The sound of their screeches is so deafening that I have to cover my ears, and in a reflex, I close my eyes too. Once they realize they won’t get what they desire, I can hear the mermaids jump back into the water, one by one, one splash after another, until the screaming stops. I still tremble slightly when I feel someone carefully taking my hands off my head, and then Yeonjun’s voice says soothingly: “It’s okay now, they are gone.” I open my eyes and I am met by Yeonjun’s confident smirk. Blushing, I quickly pull my hands out of his. Soobin and Hueningkai smile faintly at me while removing their plugs, obviously very relieved to have gotten past the mermaids. The stars shine down on us when we set up our camp for the night, far out of the reach of the beautiful, but terrifying, ladies of the lake.

 _“Please call my name one more time,”_ I hear someone sing. It’s soft, almost like a whisper, the voice smooth like velvet. Am I dreaming? I suddenly feel the need to get up, and I open my eyes. The boys are sleeping, the sound of their breathing steady, but I’m not focused on them. My ears are attentive to the voice, that extraordinary voice… _“I will walk towards you, step by step.”_ What a wonderful idea, I think, and I start moving, carelessly leaving my stuff behind. I am lead away from the others, towards the lake, making my way through the forest ground. My vision is hampered by the darkness around me, but I can see the first rays of the sun peeking through the leaves. _“If I don’t have this, I might just fall apart.”_ Oh no, I think, feeling a sudden rush of anxiety. This person who is singing to me, he needs me, he needs my help! “I’m coming,” I whisper, increasing my pace. Suddenly I step out of the forest and find myself in the open air. “ _When will it be? If I see you again…”_ I turn to my left, and then I vaguely see someone on the water. “… _I will look into your eyes, And say, I missed you.”_ He misses me? _“I want to walk this path with you.”_ I take a few steps closer to the lake, and then the person notices me too. His gaze turns to me, and my breath is taken away when I look into the eyes of the most gorgeous man I have ever seen in my entire life. I feel like I have been swept off my feet, captured by his round eyes, just as dark as the water of the lake, but with a bright spark like the starry night sky. His wavy hair, black with streaks of blue, curls around his face, accentuating his sharp jawline. His body is chiselled, his muscles lean, as if he would have no effort to protect me, to keep me safe in his strong arms. A safe haven… His soft lips turn into a stunning smile, his nose scrunches cutely, oddly reminding me of bunnies somehow. He reaches his hand out to me, his arm covered with beautiful tattoos, his body a piece of art. He starts singing again, a different song now, but the amazing sound again captivates my heart. _“Come here, I’m your paradise, Can’t close your eyes.”_ I indeed can’t close my eyes, I don’t _want_ to close my eyes. I want to drown in his beauty forever. He wants me to come, so of course I start walking over to him, closer and closer to the water. He slips off the rock he was sitting on, and swims towards me, his fish tail pushing him forward fast while effortlessly continuing his song. _“Follow this song, It’s a bit dangerous but I’m so sweet.”_ Dangerous? No, how can someone so ethereal be dangerous? I’m reaching the lake, close to a low cliff, to which he has pulled himself up, sitting on the edge, waiting for me. _“I’m here to save you, I’m here to ruin you.”_ Ruin me? I hesitate, but he continues: _“You called me, see? I’m so sweet.”_ I called him. He is mine. _“I’m takin’ over you.”_ And I am his. His eyes pull me in, I'm almost there, and we reach out for each other. All I can see is him, everything else is blurry. Just when I feel his hand touching mine, a pair of arms wraps around my waist and violently pulls me away. Panic and anger simultaneously rush through me. What is happening? I was so close to getting to him! “No! Let me go!” I yell, trying to fight my way free, kicking my feet in the air, scratching the arms clutched around me. I vaguely notice someone is talking to me, but I don’t listen, I don’t pay attention to the words. I only hear the gorgeous man’s song, it’s more compelling now, and my eyes frantically look around, searching for his beautiful face. I have to get to him, he needs me! Then my head is turned away, two hands are covering my ears, blocking out the singing voice. I see a different face now, crowned by pink hair, eyes filled with fear. Why doesn’t he let me go to him? I struggle to break free, but suddenly I can hear the other voice saying anxiously: “Don’t look at him!” He brings his face close to mine, so close I can’t look at anything else but those frightened eyes. Slowly, very slowly, I return to my senses, as the spell of the merman’s song leaves my system. And then I realise what could have happened, what almost _did_ happen, if Yeonjun, who I recognise now, wouldn’t have saved me. “Yeonjun…” I whisper, trembling when the shock starts kicking in, tears welling up in my eyes. He closes his eyes and sighs out of relief, leaning his head against mine, and I'm suddenly aware just how close he really is. The intimacy of the moment makes my heart pound, but then we both startle when we hear a low, growling sound. Our heads snap up and I see the same has happened to the merman as did to the mermaids: his deep blue eyes have turned black, and he growls at us with his fangs shown. But, somehow, I still find him incredibly attractive, which scares me more than his intimidating looks. Yeonjun must have noticed my fear, because he protectively puts his arms around me, pulling me close against his chest. Then the merman looks up, his dark eyes fixed on the sun, which has fully risen now. The scales on his tail shimmer in the sunlight when he turns around and disappears into the deep.

“Princess! Are you all right?!” Soobin’s panicked voice cuts through the air and we startle again. Yeonjun quickly lets me go when he sees Soobin and Hueningkai rush over to us, looking away, almost as if he is feeling shy, an emotion I didn’t really expect to see on the Human. “Yes, don’t worry Soobin, I’m fine,” I assure them while Soobin hugs me tight, something he rarely does; he must have been worried out of his mind. “Yeonjun, he, uh… saved me.” “Saved you?” Hueningkai echoes, his eyes wide, and Yeonjun fills them in on what happened. “A merman? I thought his was the great lake of mer _maids_ ,” Soobin says, giving Hueningkai a foul look, who holds up his hand and quickly mutters: “Hey, I don’t make stories, I only tell them! Don’t shoot the messenger!” Apparently Hueningkai hasn’t forgotten about Soobin’s silver arrows. “Luckily Yeonjun-hyung woke up in time.” “Yes, luckily he did,” I mumble, feeling incredibly stupid to have fallen for the merman’s call. “You’re welcome, Your Highness,” Yeonjun says mockingly, sounding a bit more like himself. “Hyung, how come your hands are untied?” Hueningkai wonders. “She left this behind.” Yeonjun shows us my sword. “Guess my dreams came through after all, right Pointy?” Soobin makes an annoyed face, but then he turns to me, looking upset. “I’m sorry to have failed you, princess,” he apologizes, his cheeks flushed with shame. “I was just so tired, Hueningkai even had to wake me up…” “It’s okay, I only woke up because of their screaming. You can be really loud if you want to, princess.” I feel the blood rush to my cheeks, but then it hits me. He called me _princess._ The others suddenly realise their mistakes of calling me by my title, and Hueningkai smirks knowingly. “Well, why don’t we pack up camp, and perhaps then you can tell me all about father’s ‘business’, _Your Highness_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I found Jungkook very fitting for this merman role: beautiful but mysterious, seemingly innocent but dangerous in reality...
> 
> A bit of background info about mermaids and mermen (merpeople? hm):  
> The great lake of mermaids is known to be the home of the mermaids, as the name suggests; but as the group found out, a merman lives in the lake as well. Both the mermaids and the mermen try to lure Humans or Elves underwater, however it is unknown what happens to their prey. Mermaids can only lure their prey during dusk, until sunset; mermen can lure at dawn, until sunrise. They sing songs of longing and loneliness to catch people's attention and lure them (I used "Still with You" for Jungkook here (i love this song so much, i had to use it)) but when they lock eyes with their targets, the song becomes more compelling, to make them come close (that's when Jungkook starts singing "Pied Piper" (this song was so perfect for this chapter)). When the victim takes the mermaid's or merman's hand, they get dragged down into the deep, and disappear forever. If they can't get what they want, they'll show their true colours: their eyes turn black, they grow fangs, and their songs will turn into screams (in case of mermaids) or growls (in case of mermen). People who are in love are more attentive to the opposite song (so for instance a male would be attentive to a merman's song), because they have to protect their loved one from the call.

**Author's Note:**

> Ps. My other stories here on AO3 are:  
> \- "Our magic island" - a Hogwarts x TXT AU where Soobin and Yeonjun both try to win your heart  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/22001002/chapters/52501036
> 
> \- "Remember our star song" - an AU were everyone has forgotten about TXT except you and Beomgyu  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/23140135/chapters/55376617
> 
> \- "All of this is no coincidence" - a collection of BTS and TXT one shots in various alternate universes  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/29293353/chapters/71935893
> 
> (will be updated in the future when I add another story!)


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